Esmamuljed Ozist - Cairns ning HelpX Ravenshoes // First impressions of Oz - Cairns and HelpX in Ravenshoe

Nagu ma viimase sissekande l6pus mainisin, oli Austraaliasse saabumine p2rast kahte kuud Aasias paras shokk. Esiteks oli kummaline, kui palju siinne kant Euroopat meenutab, ent samas on tegemist t2iesti teistsuguse kohaga ka. Esimesel p2eval oli meil tunne, justkui oleks me filmis, k6ik tundus lihtsalt nii syrreaalne. Kaineks tegev oli aga see, kuidas me yle88 rikkuritest puruvaeseks j2ime, liikudes Aasiast Austraaliasse.

Meie 8ine lend Balilt v6ttis aega neli tundi et j6uda Queenslandi, Cairnsi linna, ja me magasime terve lennu. Me lendasime esmakordselt JetStariga, Austraalia odavlennuliiniga, ning olime yllatunud kui suur nende istmetevaheline ala oli, jalgu sai ikka korralikult sirutada. Istmed ise tundusid ka suuremad, mist6ttu oligi lend nii mugav ja v6imaldas meil kohest uinumist.

Cairsi lennujaama j6udes olime me kyll immigratsioonipunkti kysitluseks valmis, ent ei osanud siiski oodata seda, mille osaliseks me saime. Passikontrolli l2bisime me yllatavalt kiiresti, ent seej2rel paluti meil pagasikontrolliks k6rvale astuda, n2itlikult suvalise valiku t6ttu. Sel ajal kui mina seisin ja j2lgisin, kuidas meie seljakotid tyhjendati ja p6hjalikult l2bi uuriti, tegi immigratsiooniametnik Paolole p6hjalikku intervjuud, kysides talt ta eelnevate passide kohta ning et kas ta on ka varem Austraaliasse proovinud siseneda. Paolo seletas, kuidas ta viimane pass talt 2008. aastal Barcelonas koos k6ige muuga 2ra r88viti, ning kinnitas, et ta polnud varem Austraaliasse tulemise peale isegi m6elnud - mille peale ametnik l6puks tunnistas, et tegu polnud siiski suvalise kontrolliga. Tuli v2lja, et Paolo oli juba enne Austraaliasse j6udmist 2ra m2rgitud, kuna millalgi v2hemalt viis aastat tagasi oli keegi yritanud tema passi kasutades Austraaliasse inimesi sisse smugeldada! Ilmselgelt oli Paolo sellest shokeeritud, esiteks kuna on 8udne m6elda, et keegi oli yritanud (ja ehk varem ka 6nnestunud) tema nime inimkaubanduseks kasutada, ning teiseks, kuna tegu oli esimese korraga millal ta sellest kuulnud on! V6iks ju arvata, et identiteedivarguse puhul v6taksid ametnikud varguse ohvriga yhendust, eriti kuna v6ib kindel olla, et ta hilisematel juhtudel seet6ttu piiridel kinni v6idaks pidada. Ja pole ju ennekuulmatu, et identiteedivarguse ohvreid ka ekslikult vangi pannakse. Seega oli meil 6nne, et smugeldamiskatse juhtus mitu aastat tagasi, et riik, kus see juhtus ei olnud kuskil kus inimesi esmalt vangi visatakse ja alles seej2rel neilt kysimusi kysitakse, ning et k6ik meie paberid ja dokumendid korras olid - kuna teistsuguses olukorras oleks meil v6inud tunduvalt halvemini minna. Ma pean kyll ytlema, et k6ik kontrollis osalenud t88tajad olid ylimalt viisakad ja rahulikud ning seletasid olukorda meile v2ga h2sti. Kuna me ise aga oleme reisimisega kaasnevate ebamugavustega harjunud, olime me koost88aldis ning kontrolliga v2ga kannatlikud (isegi kui mu kosmeetikakotikese iga ese eraldi v2lja v6eti ja uuriti :D). Seega lasti meil heade s6nadega minna ja k6ik oli l6pus ikka korras, ent sellised kogemused on ehmatavad kyll...

Igal juhul, olnud turvaliselt Austraalia maapinnale j6udnud, s6itsime me taksoga (kuna muud transpordiv6imalust ei olnud) Cairnsi kesklinna. Me olime otsustanud Cairnsi lennata kahel p6hjusel - esmalt, kuna me tahtsime Queenslandi minna ja Suurt Vallrahu n2ha (mida me pole kyll veel j6udnud teha), ent praktilisemal noodil kuna Balilt olid lennud Cairnsi tunduvalt odavamad kui yhtegi teise sihtpunkti (kummaliselt ka Darwinisse, mis on Balile palju l2hemal). Cairns, tagasihoidliku 142 000 elanikuga, on p6hja-Queenslandi teine suurim linn. Linna keskus on v2ike ja peamiselt koondunud ymber Esplanaadi, oma kauni ranniku22rse promenaadiga. Nagu paljud teised noored linnad endistes koloniaalriikides, on ka Cairnsi t2navad pikad, sirged ja ristuvad omavahel yhtlaste vahemaade j2rel 90-kraadiste nurkadega - yhes6naga on seal v6imatu 2ra eksida.

Meie hotell asus Esplanaadi p6hjapoolse osa l2hedal ning kesklinna keskus asus l6unapoolses osas, seega jalutasime me kahe Cairnsis veedetud p2eva jooksul kyllaga m88da rannikut. Jalutusk2ikude ajal yllatas meid avalike rajatiste kyllus ja kvaliteet - Esplanaadi 22res leidus mitu 2gedat laste m2nguv2ljakut, rulapark, kyllaga joogiveekaevusid, v2ike kaljuronimisekoht, mitu treeningupunkti jpm. K6ige rohkem avaldas meile muljet aga kaks asja - hiigelsuur ja ylimalt h2sti hoitud bassein Esplanaadi l6unapunktis, purskkaevude, liivaranna ja dushikabiinidega; ning kaetud grillimispunktid suurte ning lihtsalt kasutatavate gaasigrillidega. K6ige uskumatum asi basseini ja grillide juures - m6lemad on t2iesti tasuta ning kasutada saab neid iga p2ev! Paolo sai isegi grilli proovida kui me eelmise p2eva hiinakat yles soojendasime (r2mpstoit oli ainus toit mida me endale Cairnsis lubada saime, kuna hinnad olid p6rutavad).

Jalutades Esplanaadil, avastasime me veel yhe 2geda asja - tasuta kursused iga p2ev, sh nt jooga, aeroobika ja kaljuronimine. Kaljuronimise (v6i 6igemini boulderingi) kursus leidis aset meile sobival ajal ja otsustasime kohale minna. Kursus kestis tund aega, peale meie oli kohal umbes seitse algajat ronijat ning entusiastlik juhendaja kes varustas meid k6iki ronimisjalatsitega ja andis meile h2id nippe esmaseks ronimiseks. L6bu oli meil laialt ja olime ylimalt rahul, et saime t2iesti tasuta ronimist proovida.

P2rast kahte 88d Cairnsis v6tsid meid autoga peale meie esimesed HelpXi v66rustajad, et s6ita nende koju ja nendega kaks n2dalat koos elada. HelpX (ehk Help Exchange) on suurep2rane veebisait, mis viib kokku inimesi, kel on tarvis veidi abi oma kodus, aias v6i talus, ning vabatahtlikud (paljud neist turistid), kes on valmis seda abi pakkuma. 4-5 tunni t88 eest p2evas pakuvad v66rustajad vabatahtlikele majutust ja syya. Suur osa HelpX'i kogemusest on inimestevaheline suhtlus - see on hea viis inimestega tutvumiseks, ning koos elades on v6imalik teisi eriti h2sti tundma 6ppida. Meile kui reisijatele on tegu ka hea viisiga ymbruskonna avastamiseks, kohalikega tutvumiseks ning n2gemiseks, kuidas australlased elavad. Kui me potentsiaalseid v66rustajaid otsisime, valisime me peamiselt v2ikeseid 8kotalusid - kuna me tahtsime n2ha, kuidas v2ikese talu majandamine v2lja n2eb, ja kuidas loomade ja taimedega hakkama saada - lootuses, et yhel p2eval teeme me ehk sama.

Naljakal kombel oli meie esimene HelpX kogemus perega, kelle jaoks oli samuti tegemist esimese korraga HelpX v66rustaja olla. Nyydseks oleme me nende juures juba kaks toredat n2dalat veetnud. Pere koosneb pereisast Trevorist (kes r22gib vahetpidamata 2gedaid lugusid ja teeb k6vasti nalja), emast Shelleyst (kes hoiab hullumaja kontrolli all), viie-aastasest Mabelist (kes alati heameelega t88d aitab teha, ent samas ka meeleldi lolli m2ngib), kolme-aastasest Lorettast (kes on yliarmas ja ytleb alati eriti suvalisi ja naljakaid asju) ning v2ikesest Fredist, kes sai just eelmisel n2dalal yhe-aastaseks (ja kes teeb igasuguseid naljakaid beebiasju).

Nad elavad Ravenshoe nimelise koha l2hedal Tablelands'i platool, mis asub sisemaal ning meretasemest k6rgemal ning kus seega on veidi jahedam kui kuumal rannikul. Nende talu ei ole hiigelsuur, ent siin on k6ikidele rohkelt ruumi, sh nende mitmetele loomadele - yheksale ylis6bralikule koerale, hulgake kalkunitele, hobusele (Clydesdale'i sorti pakihobune Hercules) ning eesel Hectorile. Meie enda elamine siin on ylilahe - me magame 12-meetrise koolibussi sees!

Kuna pere on siin vaid kolm aastat elanud, on talus ja krundil kyllaga t88d teha ning viimaste n2dalate jooksul oleme me neid igasuguste asjadega aidaud - sh aia korrastamine, kulu p6letamine, bambuse l6ikamine ja transport, bambusest aia ehitamine, seemnete kylvamine, puude raiumine, majapidamise ja laste valvamisega aitamine jpm. Aga me oleme ka teistsugust t88d teinud, niisama l6buks. N2iteks tuli Paolo tydrukute rattaid remontides m6ttele ka Fredile ta esimene tasakaaluratas teha (ehk ilma pedaalideta ratas millega p6nnid saavad esmalt tasakaalu selgeks enne p2ris ratta proovimist). Trevor oli ideest samuti vaimustuses ning kaks p2eva hiljem, just Fredi synnip2evaks oli ratas valmis - ja tulemus oli super. Trevor ja Paolo on proovinud ka bambusest fl88te valmistada, vahelduva eduga :D

Ent ega me ka kogu aeg t88d pole ryganud - pea igal p2rastl6unal, kui v2jas on t88tamiseks liiga kuum, oleme me k6ik nende Land Roverisse hypanud ja ujuma s6itnud. Trevor ja Shelley tunnevad siinse kandi parimaid ujumiskohti ning on meid viinud uskumatult kaunitesse paikadesse. M6ned on olnud tavap2rasemad (nt ilus Eachami j2rv, mis on iidse vulkaanikraatri sees ning on populaarne ujumis- ja grillimiskoht), kuid paljud on olnud t2iesti metsikud, peidetud kohad ilma yhegi teise inimeseta (nt Vine Creeki kosed ja paar muud kohta kuhu j6udmiseks oleme pidanud veidi kaljuronimist tegema).

Yhel p2eval peatusime me ka metsloomade varjupaigas, mille omanikuks on yks Austria pension2r. Seal ravitakse vigastatuid metsloomi kuni nad tagasi loodusesse saab lasta, ning pysivalt hoitakse neid, kes ise vabaduses ellu ei j22ks. Seal n2gime me k2nguruid (kuigi me oleme neid ka vabas looduses n2inud - nad on siin t6epoolest igal pool), emusid, possumeid, dingosid, kohalikke lindusid nagu kookaburrad ja lorikeetid, ja muid Austraalia elukaid. Vabas looduses oleme me saanud n2ha hiigelsuurte puunahkhiirte parvesid (seda saime n2ha 8isel Esplanaadil Cairnsis), maastikke mis on silmapiirini kaetud suurte termiidipesadega, elu suurimaid ja v2rvilisemaid liblikaid, r22kimata paljudest kummalistest ja huvitavatest putukatest ja taimedest. Ringi vaadates on ilmselge, et Austraalia on miljoneid aastaid muust maailmast eraldi olnud, siinne loodus on lihtsalt nii teistsugune.

Kaks n2dalat on siin nagu niuhti m88da lennanud ning paari p2eva p2rast ongi meie aeg selle toreda perega l2bi. Laup2eval s6idame me p6hjapoole, et yhe teise v66rustajapere juures paar n2dalat olla. Siiani on meie HelpX kogemus olnud suurep2rane, ning ootame huviga selle j2tku juba uues kohas.

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So as I mentioned at the end of my last post, arriving in Australia was somewhat of a shock after nearly two months in Asia. Firstly, it's bizarre how it's very similar to Europe, but then at the same time also very different. The first day it really felt like we were in a film or something, everything seemed just so surreal. A more sobering experience is how we went from feeling rich to being positively dirt poor in just the short few hours that it took us to fly to Australia..

The flight we were on from Bali took four hours to reach Cairns in Queensland, and we slept through the whole thing, it was great! It was our first time flying JetStar, the Australian low-cost airline, and it was amazing how much more legroom you get on their flights. It also felt like the seats were bigger, so we got really comfortable very quickly and snoozed off in no time.

Arriving in Cairns airport, we were ready for being interrogated by Immigration, but were not prepared for the experience we received. We got through passport control in a breeze, which was surprising, but then we were taken aside to have all our luggage checked by what appeared as random selection. While I was standing by as our bags were meticulously emptied and thoroughly checked by a border guard, Paolo was aside being interviewed by an immigration agent, who asked him about how many previous passports he had had in the past and whether he had ever tried to enter Australia before. After Paolo told him how his last passport had been robbed from him (along with all of his other valuables) in 2008 in Barcelona, and that he had never even thought about traveling to Australia before, the agent finally revealed that the check was not random at all. Paolo's passport had come up with a red flag, since sometime five or more years ago someone using Paolo's passport had tried (and obviously failed) to smuggle people into Australia! Needless to say, Paolo was pretty shocked to learn of this - firstly, it's of course awful to think that someone had tried (and maybe previously succeeded) using his name for human trafficking. But also because this was the first time that he had heard of this! You would think that if identity theft happens, the authorities would make the real person aware of this, particularly as he or she will definitely have to suffer through additional checks due to that. And it is not unheard of of people being jailed because someone had used their identity for illegal activities. So we were lucky that the attempted smuggling had happened many years ago, that the country it happened in was not someplace where they would jail you first and ask questions later, and that we had all our documents and stuff all in place, because in another scenario we might have had much more trouble than that. I do have to say that the staff involved in the check were both very courteous and calm, and explained the situation to us very well. And since we are used to inconveniences during travel, we cooperated fully and were patient with the checks (even as my bag of toiletries was inspected one item at a time etc :D). So we were let go with kind words and all was well in the end, but these kinds of experiences are sobering to say the least.

Anyway, having safely arrived on Australian soil, we took a taxi (since there was no alternative) to Cairns city centre where our motel was. We had chosen to fly to Cairns for two reasons - firstly, because we wanted to visit Queensland, mainly to see the Great Barrier Reef (which we have yet to do). And more practically, because, from Bali, flights to Cairns were by far cheaper than to any other destination (strangely even to Darwin, which is much nearer to Bali - bizarre!). Cairns, even at its modest population of 142,000, is the second largest city in the northern part of Queensland. Its city centre is small, and mainly concentrated around the Esplanade, a beautiful promenade along the coastline. Like other young cities in most former colonial countries, the streets are long, straight, and cross each other in regular 90-degree angles - so it's pretty much impossible to get lost.

Our hotel was near the northern part of the Esplanade, and the proper centre of the city centre was at the south end, so during our two days in Cairns, we did a lot of walking along the coast. We were amazed at how good the public leisure facilities are - along the Esplanade, there were lots of awesome children's playgrounds, a skate park, tons of drinking fountains, a small rock climbing place, exercise stations etc. We were most impressed however by two things - the huge and extremely well-kept swimming pool at the south end of the Esplanade, which had fountains, a sandy bank on one side, and large shower and toilet facilities next to it. And the covered barbecue stations, which had big, easy to operate gas barbecues. The most amazing thing about the pool and the barbecues - completely free to use, open every day! Paolo even got to use one when he reheated some takeaway food that we had left over from the day before (takeaway food was the only food we were able to afford during our time in Cairns, since the prices are truly staggering).

During our walks along the Esplanade, marveling at the facilities, we also saw another awesome thing - free classes that are held daily, ranging from yoga and aerobics to rock climbing. The rock climbing (or to be exact, bouldering) class was held in the afternoon of the second day, and we decided to go. The class lasted one hour, had about seven attendees, and a great coach who provided us all with climbing shoes and gave us a good first lesson into rock climbing on boulders. We had a great time, and were stoked to be able to do something that cool for free!

After two nights in Cairns, we were picked up by our first HelpX host to go and spend two weeks living with them. HelpX (or Help Exchange) is a great initiative which brings together people who need some work done in their homes, gardens or farms, and volunteers (many of them travellers) who are keen to help. The hosts provide volunteers with accommodation and food, in return for about 4-5 hours of work per day. A big part of the HelpX experience is the social aspect - it's a great way to meet new people and you really get to know someone by living with them. For us as travellers, it is also a brilliant way to discover the country(side), meet locals and to see how people in Australia live. When looking for hosts, we looked up families who have small organic farms - since we would like to learn what it's like managing a small farm, having animals, gardening etc in the hopes of one day doing it ourselves.

Funnily enough, our first ever HelpX experience is with a family for whom it is also the first time to host with HelpX. By now we have already spent two weeks with them and it has been absolutely brilliant! The family consists of Trevor (who is constantly telling cool stories and making everyone laugh), Shelley (who does a brilliant job keeping the mayhem in check), five-year-old Mabel (who is a keen helper around the farm, but also just as keen to joke around), three-year-old Loretta (who is super sweet and constantly says the funniest, most random stuff) and wee Fred who just turned one last week (and does lots of absolutely hilarious baby stuff).

They live near Ravenshoe in the Tablelands, which are a bit inland and higher up and therefore not quite as hot as the coast. Their farm is not huge, but there is plenty of room for everyone, including all the animals - nine super friendly dogs, a bunch of turkeys, a horse (a Clydesdale named Hercules) and Hector the donkey. Our accommodation here is the coolest ever - we sleep inside of a 12-meter school bus, and it's just awesome.

Since they have only lived here for three years, there is still lots to do on the farm, and these last couple of weeks we have been busy helping them with tons of different stuff - tidying up the yard, building fires to burn up excess wood, going to cut bamboo for building, weaving bamboo fences, planting vegetable seeds, cutting down trees, helping with stuff around the house and looking after the kids etc. But we have also done other projects just for fun. For example, when Paolo was fixing the girls' bikes, he thought that it would be cool to make Fred his first bike as well - a balance bike (which has no pedals, and is great for toddlers to learn to balance before going on a real bike). Trevor was totally on board with the idea, and within two days, just in time for Fred's first birthday, the bike was finished, and it looks awesome. Trevor and Paolo have also tried to make flutes out of the bamboo we got, with mixed results :D

But it has not just been all about work - nearly every day after lunch, while it's too hot to work outside, we all hop on their Land Rover and drive for a swim. Trevor and Shelley know some of the most amazing swimming holes around here, and we have been in a number of absolutely gorgeous places. Some more traditional (e.g. the beautiful Lake Eacham, which is a lake inside of an ancient volcano crater, and a very popular spot for swimming and barbecues) and others completely wild, hidden and without anyone else nearby (like Vine Creek Falls and a few other spots where we had to do some fairly tricky rock climbing to reach the water).

One day we also stopped at a nearby wildlife sanctuary, run by a retired Austrian guy, where injured wild animals are treated and released, or kept in the sanctuary if they would not survive on their own in the wild. There we got to see kangaroos (we have seen them in the wild too though, they truly are everywhere here), emus, possums, dingoes, birds such as kookaburras and lorikeets and other Australian wildlife. In the wild, we have been impressed by swarms of huge fruit bats (who we saw during the night on the Esplanade in Cairns!), landscapes dotted with massive termite nests as far as the eye can see, the biggest and brightest butterflies either of us have ever seen, not to mention lots of strange and beautiful plants and insects. You can really tell that this part of the world has evolved separately from the rest for a long time, because of the bizarre and captivating endemic wildlife.

Two weeks have flown by here, and in a few days our time with this awesome family will come to an end. On Saturday, we drive further north to stay with another host family for a couple of weeks. So far, our HelpX experience has been amazing, and we are looking forward to continue seeing the country in this way.

Cairnsi Esplanaadil // On the Esplanade in Cairns

Leia puunahkhiir // Find the fruit bat

P2eval magasid niisama puu otsas // Just napping in the tree during the day

Paolo ronimist proovimas // Paolo trying out bouldering

Avalik bassein Esplanaadil // The public pool on the Esplanade

Tasuta grill! // Free barbecues!

Kaunis Eachami j2rv // Beautiful Lake Eacham

Kardin-viigipuu // Curtain fig tree

Tirtsu kest // Shell of a cicada

Meie elamine! // Our nest!

Elamine v2ljastpoolt // From the outside

V2ikesed abilised // Little helpers

Bambusaeda ehitamas // Building a bamboo fence

Truu Land Rover viib otse j2rve 22rde // Trusty Land Rover will take you straight to the lake

Paolo emuga s6brustamas // Paolo making friends with a suspicious emu

Kohustuslik k2ngurupilt // The token kangaroo pic

Sinna alla ronisimegi ujuma // We climbed all the way down to swim there

Rahulolu p2rast ujumist // Happy after a swim

Termiidipesad! // Termite nests!

Paolo ja Fred puhkehetkel // Paolo and Fred resting in the shade

Fredi ratast ehitamas // Building Fred's bike

Perepilt // Family picture

Hercules

Ava tahab et talle pulka visataks // Ava wanting you to throw the stick

Hector koos bambuseaiaga // Hector with the finished bamboo fence

Bali – viimane n2dal Indoneesias // Bali – last week in Indonesia

Kui me p2rast Yogyakarta lennujaamas veedetud unetut 88d Balile j6udsime, s6itsime me otse taksoga meie hotelli Sanuris, lootes, et me saame kohe magama minna. Kahjuks polnud meie tuba aga veel valmis, seega oli meil vaja enne voodisse ronimist veel paar tundi surnuks lyya.

Sanur on yks populaarsetest mere22rsetest kyladest Bali l6unaosas, koos Kuta ja Seminyakiga, kuigi Sanur on neist rahulikum. Sanur koosneb pikast mere22rsest promenaadist ning paljudest-paljudest turistidele m6eldud teenusepakkujatest - restoranid, hotellid, kohvikud, masaazhisalongid, spad, ekskursioonide pakkujad, suveniiripoed jne jne jne. Kohati tundus, et Sanuris on turiste rohkem kui kohalikke.

P2rast maitsvat hommikus88ki jalutasime me veidi promenaadil ning istusime rannas, v6ideldes unega kuni kella kaheni, mil me saime viimaks hotelli puhkama minna. 

Me olime Sanuris pannud kinni neli p2eva, ja l6puks veetsime me selle aja lihtsalt l66gastudes ja eriti mitte midagi tehes. Meil oli vaja teha asju, mida me polnud viimastel n2dalatel saanud teha, sh pesu pesemine, blogide kirjutamine, fotode sorteerimine jne. Kui k6ik see oli tehtud, nautisime me niisama rannas peesitamist (kuigi meres ujumist tunduvalt v2hem - vesi polnud just k6ige puhtam, ent peamine probleem oli see, et merevesi oli nii kuum, et ei pakkunud mitte mingit v2rskendust!), lugemist ja hea toidu nautimist. Kuigi oleks olnud tore n2iteks jalgrattatuurile minna v6i veesporti proovida, olid k6ik pakkumised nii kallid, et unustasime selle m6tte koheselt. 

See, et Bali ylej22nud Indoneesiast kallim oli, tuli kohe ilmseks. Kuigi hinnavahe ei olnud hirmsuur, oli siiski selge, et saarel l2heb majanduslikult p2ris h2sti, t2nu turistidemassidele kes l2bi kogu aasta Balit kylastavad. Yhtlasi oli yllatav kuidas balilased olid k6ige s6bralikum ja kenam rahvas keda me seni kohanud oleme, vaatamata massilisele turismile (me eeldasime, et nad on ehk v2lismaalaste suhtes veidi kyynilised, nagu paljud kohalikud tihti muudes turismisihtkohtades, ent absoluutselt mitte).

Ent tunduvalt meeldivam erinevus Balil oli see, kui teistsugune ta ylej22nud moslemi Indoneesiast oli. Bali, erinevalt ylej22nud riigist, on hinduistlik - 90% kohalikest peavad ennast hindudeks. Bali hinduism on arenenud millekski v2ga unikaalseks, kaasates esivanemate austamist, elemente kohalikest animistlikest uskumustest ning aspekte budismist. Kogu saar on t2is kauneid altareid ja igas suuruses templeid, ning hindu kunst on k6ikjal - kaunid skulptuurid ja peened reljeefid kaunistavad k6iki ehitisi ja avalikke paiku (k6igil suurematel ristmikel on HIIGELSUURED hindu jumalate kujud). Teine v2ga iseloomulik element Bali hinduismis on igap2evased ohverdused - v2ikestesse bambusest p6imitud anumatesse v6i banaanilehtedele asetatud k6iksugused asjad, sh lilled, toit, kommid, kohv (piskestes kilekottides!), sigaretid, raha jms. Kui ma olen 6igesti aru saanud, siis vaatamata nende kaootilisele ilmele, j2rgivad ohverdused tegelikult kindlaid reegleid. Esmalt on ohverdused hindu peamistele jumalatele (need on omakorda erinevad - eri lilli ohverdatakse eri jumalatele, ning ka ohverduste paigutus ilmakaarte suhtes loeb), t2nut2heks maailmas valitseva rahu eest. Need ohverdused asetatakse k6rgemale - altaritele, skulptuuridele v6i aknalaudadele. Yhtlasi tehakse ohverdusi (v6i rohkem nagu altk2emaksu) ka kurjadele vaimudele. Need pannakse maha, uste ja v2ravate ette, et vaime eemal hoida. Ohverdusi leidub Balil absoluutselt k6ikjal, ning kuigi see t2hendab, et igap2evaselt pandakse v2lja loomadele ja putukatele k2ttesaadavatesse kohtadesse toitu, on t2navad tegelikult v2ga puhtad. Balilased kannavad suurt hoolt selle eest, et t2navad iga p2ev varasematest ohverdustest puhtaks pyhkida.

Kogu saar oli tegelikult tunduvalt puhtam kui Lombok v6i Jaava, ja me n2gime v2ga v2he mahavisatud prygi. Mul tuli m6te, et ehk see on uskude erinevuste t6ttu. Bali hinduism, oma animistlikke elementidega, ilmselt edendab austust ja vastutustundlikkust looduse suhtes, samas kui islam (nagu ta monoteistlik vend kristlus) asetab inimese loodusest ja loomadest tunduvalt k6rgemale, muutes oma j2rgijatel keeruliseks oma looduskeskkonna suhtes vastutustundlikkust tunda. Pigem tuntakse keskkonna suhtes omanikutunnet, mis edendab hoopis looduse ekspluateerimist. Kuid see oli vaid uitm6te, t6de on loomulikult tunduvalt keerulisem. Ilmselt on tegu lihtsalt sellega, et Bali on j6ukam, ning turismi surve t6ttu on prygi majandamisse rohkem raha pandud (ning t6si kyll, et Balil n2gime me hulganisti prygikaste).

Balil veedetud aja jooksul, kus hindu kultuur on nii tugev ja igalpool n2htav, hakkas meid huvitama see, et kuidas kyll v2ike saareke suutis islami edasitungi ajal hinduistlikuks j22da. Sellele ma paraku rahuldavat vastust ei olegi leidnud, tundub, et Bali oli lihtsalt ylej22nud riigist kultuuriliselt isoleeritud ning seet6ttu oli suutnud oma traditsioonidest kinni hoida. Seevastu on kaasaegsem ajalugu samuti huvitav. Indoneesia on enamjaolt moslemiusku (t2nap2eval 87%), ent kui riik Hollandi koloniaalv6imu j2rel 1952. aastal iseseisvaks sai, kuulutas uus valitsus poliitilise islami survel, et iga riigi kodanik peab enda usu ametlikult kinnitama, ning et tunnistatakse ainult monoteistlikke religioone. See oli polyteistliku hinduismi j2rgijatele Balil loomulikult halb uudis. Uute n6uete poolt shokeerituna, kuulutas Bali end autonoomseks piirkonnaks ning otsis inim- ja diplomaatilistele 6igustele rahvusvahelist toetust. Seej2rel tekkis Balil rahumeelne protestiliikumine, mis 1958. aastal Indoneesia valitsust nende oma m2ngus v6itis! P6him6tteliselt leidsid nad iidsetest hindu tekstidest ytluse, mis nimetas dharmat (ehk k6ike maailma headust) 'jagamatuks tervikuks' ning nad kasutasid seda kui t6estust, et Dharma ongi hinduismi ainus jumal ning et tegemist on monoteismiga. Indoneesia valitsus oligi seega sunnitud tunnistama hindu Dharmat kui yhte ametlikest riigi uskudest. Sellel oli positiivseid m6jusid ka paljudele v2iksemate animistlike religioonide j2rgijatele (peamiselt traditsioonilised h6imurahvad), kes, sunnitud limiteeritud uskude vahel valima, tundsid et neil oleks hinduismi all rohkem vabadust kui islamiga ning et selliselt saaksid nad oma traditsioone ja kombeid edasi viia. Selle t6ttu on v2hemalt ametlikult hindu kogukondi ka Kalimantanil, Sulawesil ja muudes paikades peale Bali.

P2rast Sanuri l2ksime me sisemaale, kultuuripealinna Ubudi. Tegelikult ei olegi tegemist linnaga vaid pigem alaga kus mitmed eri kylad on tihedalt koos. Ubud on ka turistide seas v2ga populaarne, ning p6hjusega - koht on imekaunis, mitmete kaunite templite l2heduses, ning linnas endas leidub hulganisti kunstigaleriisid ja -poode ning igal 6htul etendatakse kultuurisyndmusi. 

Esimesel 6htul l2ksime me traditsioonilist Bali tantsushowd vaatama. Bali tants on v2ga ainulaadne ning ma polnud midagi sellist varem kuskil n2inud. Kuna tantsuga jutustatakse hindu legendidest, leidub ses India tantsuga sarnaseid elemente nagu n2iteks k2tezhestide ja n2oilmete kasutamine, ent yldmulje on v2ga unikaalne. Tantsijad on k6ik rikkalikult riietatud, kuldsete ja v2rviliste kangastega, kandes uhkeid peakaunistusi ning ehteid. Esitusi saadab gamelan muusika, Jaava ja Bali saarte traditsiooniline l88kpillide ansambelmuusika (nagu me ka Jaava saarel nukuteatriga juba kuulda saime). Meie etendus algas (p2rast traditsioonilist ohverdust jumalatele) legong tantsuga - ylikeeruline ja tehniliselt raske tykk, mida esitavad tandemina ning synkroonis kaks noort tydrukut, kes kogu aja silmi kinni hoiavad! See oli imekaunis. Seej2rel n2gime me mitmeid muid tantsutykke (sh eriti suurejooneline nelja mehe ja nelja naise poolt esitatud t2nutants Ubudile) ning l6petuseks esitati traditsiooniline Bali ballett, mis r22kis hindu legendi julgest printsist, kaunist printsessist ning v6itlusest hea ja kurja vahel. Muuseas, kurja roll oli Rangdal, pahal deemonkuningannal kes kurjade vaimude yle valitseb - sama tegelane, kes Paolo uuel t2toveeringul on. Rolli ennast m2ngis kyll mees, kuna roll n6uab maski (topengi) kandmist ning k6ik topengid on pyhad ning naistele on nende kandmine keelatud. Rangda topeng oli hirmus, punnis silmade ja pika keelega, ning lisaks kandis tantsija suurt karvast kostyymi. Kogu etendus oli super ja me nautisime t2iel rinnal traditsioonilise kultuuri n2gemist.

J2rgmisel p2eval rentisime me motika et Ubudi kultuuriliselt rikkalikku ymbrust avastada. Me kylastasime kolme erinevat templit, mis olid k6ik kaunid, ent ilma suuremate teadmisteta hinduismist olid nad meie jaoks k6ik enamv2hem samasugused. Seej2rel peatusime Tegallalangi riisiterrasside juures - yks Bali ikoonilisemaid vaateid. Me tegime ka planeerimata peatuse kohviistanduses - yhe templi juurde s6ites l2ksime me valet teed pidi ja j6udsime tupikusse. Tupikus aga tutvusime me yhe toreda tyybiga, kes veenis meid ta s6bra istandusse minema ja oli valmis meid sinna juhatama (v2ikese jootraha eest muidugi). Kuna tyyp oli nii tore, otsustasime me teda uskuda ja tuli v2lja, et tegime h2sti. Istandus oli v2ike, ja seal kasvatati ka paljut muud peale kohviubade (sh ingverit, kakaod, ananassi, papaiat, jakavilja jpm). Peamiseks t6mbenumbriks olid aga luwakid, v2ikesed kassitaolised metsikud 88loomad, kes s88vad tooreid kohviubasid, mida inimesed p2rast siis nende junnidest v2lja v6tavad ja 2ra puhastavad ning r8stivad, et sellest kopi luwakit ehk maailma k6ige kallimat kohvi teha. Loomulikult hoitakse loomi puurides ja vaevalt, et nende heaolule palju t2helepanu p88ratakse, mist6ttu ei olnud selle n2gemine just eriti meeldiv. Kylastuse meeldivam osa oli hoopis tasuta degusteerimine, kus meile pakuti tosinat eri jooki, sh erimaitselisi kohvisid, kakaod ning mitmeid teesid. Kuigi kohvi oli m6nus, valmistasid teed meile k6ige rohkem muljet - ingveri- ja sidrunheinateed olid parimad mida me maitsnud oleme. Me ostsime endale kaasa kakaopulbrit ja ingveriteed. Minu initsiatiivil proovisime me ka tassit2it kopi luwakit (mis 3 euro eest tundus aktsepteeritav hind maailma kalleima kohvi eest). Kohv maitses h2sti, kuigi oli v2ga tugev, ent mul tekkisid koheselt syymepiinad, et andsin uudishimule alla, kuna kohvi ostes innustame me luwakite j2tkuvat ekspluateerimist. Seega n6uanne (mida ma oleks ise pidanud j2rgima) - kopi luwak ei ole midagi erilist, loomade nimel ei maksa seda proovida.

L6unas88giks s6ime me tee22rsest putkast maitsvat suppi lihapallide ja nuudlitega ning magustoiduks ostsime me duriani. Durian on v2idetavalt maailma maitsvaim puuvili (ning teda kutsutakse yhtlasi ka 'puuviljade kuningaks') ning kuigi ta l6hnavat kohutavalt, on viljaliha ylihea. Me saime maitsta hooaja yhte esimesi duriani, seega oli ta v2ga v2rske. Meie durian ei l6hnanud sugugi halvasti, v6ibolla kuna tegemist oli varajase viljaga - v6imalik, et vaid hilisemad haisevad. Aga viljaliha oli superhea, t2pselt nagu kirjeldatud - ylimagus ning konsistentsilt veidi nagu avokaado.

P2eva l6puks s6itsime me Tegenungani kose alla ujuma. Tegenungan on yks v2heseid koskesid Balil mis ei ole kesksete m2gede vahel, ning on seega lihtsasti ligip22setav, mist6ttu on kosk nii kohalike kui turistide seas ylipopulaarne. Kosk ei olnud ylik6rge, ent siiski muljetavaldav, ning kose all oli suur ning ujumiseks t2iuslik j2rv. P2rast pikka p2eva oli ylim6nus vette minna ja veetulvas ujuda! Jahedas ja puhtas vees ujumine oli eriliselt meeldiv kuna meie senine kogemus ookeanis ujumisega ei olnud just k6ige parem.

J2rgmiseks p2evaks olime me reserveerinud kohad paadis6idule k2restikus (river rafting). See oli midagi mida ma olin juba pikemat aega tahtnud proovida, ent seni leitud tuurid olid alati liiga kallid olnud. Seega olime me ylirahul kui me leidsime Ubudis pakkumise 18 euro eest. Paadis6it leidis aset Ayungi j6el ning meiega koos oli tuurile minemas veel umbes viiskymmend inimest (ja seda ainult meie firmaga). Praegusel juhul oli aga kyll tegemist olukorraga kus kehtib ytlus 'mida rohkem seda uhkem' - mida ma kohe ka seletan. P2rast seda kui meile oli k6ik vajaminev varustus selga ja k2tte pandud (kiiver, p22stevest ja aer) ning meid alguspunkti s6idutatud, pidime me pikast ja j2rsust trepist alla minema, et j6ekaldani j6uda. Instruktorid karjusid yle rahvamassi meile paar s6na turvalisusest misj2rel ronisimegi me juba oma kummipaati. Kuigi paatides on kohti kuue inimese jaoks (pluss instruktor), oli meid ainult neli - peale minu ja Paolo oli meiega koos yks noor hiina tydruk (kes tundus tore, ent ei r22kinud mitte s6nagi inglise keelt) ning yks v2ga meeldiv vanem naine L6una-Koreast. Meie instuktor, nagu enamik teisi, oli noor ning ennastt2is tyyp, kes tegi sellegipoolest oma t88d v2ga h2sti ning muutis s6idu l6busamaks kui ta teiste m88duvate paatide instruktoreid ja turiste kiusas. Kummipaat vees, hakkasime me kohe aerutama, kuna ees ootas 10 kilomeetrit j6ge. Kuna j6gi asetses k6rgete kaljude vahel ning ymberringi oli igalpool vaid dzungel, saime me nautida t6eliselt kauneid vaateid. Ning, nagu mainitud, oli peale meie vees lugematul hulgal teisi paate, nii meie grupist kui teistest, ning k6igil oli l6bu laialt kui paadid vee pritsimiseks piisavalt l2hedale tulid. Kuna Balil ei olnud viimasel perioodil peaaegu yldse vihma sadanud (vaatamata sellele, et juba detsembrist oli tegemist vihmaperioodiga) oli j6gi p2ris rahulik, mis oligi esimese korra jaoks hea. K2restikkudes s6ites oli ikka p6nev, ent kordagi ei olnud tunnet nagu olukord oleks ohtlik. Kogu kogemus oli ylil6bus ning planeerime juba innukalt j2rgmist korda!

J2rgmisel p2eval, mis oli meie viimane Indoneesias, l2ksime me Ubudi peamist atraktsiooni kylastama - Ahvide Mets (v6i 6igemini Pyha Ahvide Metsa Kaitseala). P6him6tteliselt on tegu suure dzunglipargiga, kus on templikompleks ning hulganisti ahve. Ahvid k2ivad pargis vabalt ringi ning on (otseloomulikult) pargi peamine atraktsioon. V2idetavalt tegeletakse seal ka teaduse ja looduskaitsega, ent tunne j2i kyll nagu oleks tegu lihtsalt kohaga kus inimesed saavad j2lgida kuidas ahvid omi asju ajavad. Pargis oli k6igis suurustes ahve ning kui kellelgi oli kaasas midagi s88davat (meil ei olnud), leidsid ahvid selle yles ning pistsid kohe nahka, vahet pole kas toit oli neile m6eldud v6i mitte. Ahvid on tegelikult krabis88jad makaagid (kohalikult tuntakse neid kui Bali pikasabalised ahvid) ning pargis on neid 600 ringis. Nad n2isid oma eluga rahul olevat ning pidev inimestetulv ei n2inud neid absoluutselt h2irivat. Parim hetk oli kohe p2rast sissep22su, kus oli v2ike bassein, mida ahvid kasutasid ujumiseks, vettehypeteks ja niisama hullamiseks. Ahve ning nende pisikesi k2si ja n2gusid j2lgides tundub justkui vaataks v2ikest karvast inimest, ning ei j22 mingit kahtlust, et oleme t6epoolest omavahel l2hisuguluses.

Samal 6htul s6itsime me lennujaama, et oodata meie 8ist lendu Austraaliasse Cairnsi. Me veetsime just terve kuu Indoneesias ning sealveedetud kolm peatykki olid k6ik omavahel nii erinevad. Tegemist on hiigelsuure riigiga, millest meie n2gime vaid imepisikest osa - ent see, mis me n2gime oli vaimustav ning me oleme t6eliselt t2nulikud, et saime seda k6ike kogeda.

Nyyd tagasi kultuuri, mis on justkui rohkem tuttav, ent samas v2ga kauge - Austraalia. Kirjutamise hetkel oleme me siin olnud juba paar p2eva, ning v6in 8elda, et k6ik on siin senisest nii erinev! Austraalias teeme me kohalikes v2ikefarmides vabatahtlikut88d, ning hetkel oleme me juba teist p2eva yhe ylitoreda pere juures - ja nendest kirjutan ma pikemalt millalgi j2rgmisel n2dalal. Seniks - tsau!

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When we arrived in Bali in the morning after a sleepless night in Yogyakarta airport, we took a taxi straight to our hotel in Sanur, hoping that we could go and have some much needed sleep straight away. Unfortunately, as the room wasn't ready, we had a few hours to kill before being able to crawl into bed.

Sanur is one of the popular touristic beachside towns in south Bali, along with Kuta and Seminyak, with Sanur being the quietest one. It has a long beachside promenade and lots and lots of services for tourists – restaurants, hotels, cafes, massage parlors, spas, tour companies, souvenir shops etc etc etc. There were more tourists on the streets than locals, it seemed at times.

After having a tasty breakfast, we walked along the promenade and sat down on the beach, fighting sleep until at last it was 2pm and we could go for a rest in the hotel.

We had booked to stay in Sanur for four days, and we ended up spending this time just relaxing and not doing much. There were things to do that we hadn't been able to do in the previous weeks, such as getting our laundry washed, writing our blogs, sorting our photos etc. After all that had been done, we just enjoyed being on the beachside (not so much swimming in the sea though – it was not really clean, but mainly the water was so hot that it offered no relief at all from the heat!), reading and enjoying nice food. While it would have been nice to do some activities like cycling or watersports, the prices were ridiculous in Sanur, so we dropped that idea quickly. 

The fact that Bali was more expensive than the rest of Indonesia was pretty evident immediately. Although the difference wasn't drastic, you could still tell that this island was doing pretty well economically, supported by the masses of tourists that come all year round. Also, surprisingly, Balinese people turned out to be the friendliest and nicest that we have seen so far, despite the onslaught of tourism (we had half expected them to have become a bit jaded and cynical towards all the foreigners, as many locals in major tourist destinations often become).

However, the more pleasant difference of being on Bali was how different it was to the Muslim Indonesia we had seen so far. Bali, unlike the rest of the country, is Hinduist, with 90% of Balinese identifying as Hindu. Balinese Hinduism has evolved into a very specific type of religion, incorporating local animist beliefs, ancestral worshop and aspects of Buddhism, so that the result is something very unique. The whole island is full of beautiful shrines and temples of all sizes, and Hinduist art is ubiquitous, with gorgeous sculptures, intricate reliefs and other artwork decorating nearly all buildings and public spaces (HUGE statues of Hindu gods and goddesses at all major traffic junctions for example). Another very distinct aspect of Balinese Hinduism are the daily offerings - small woven bamboo containers or banana leaves filled with an assortment of items such as flowers, food, sweets, coffee (in little plastic bags!), cigarettes, money etc. If I have understood correctly, the offerings, while appearing chaotic to an outsider, actually follow certain rules. There are offerings to the main gods (also divided among them, according to types of flowers used and the direction they're facing) to give thanks for the peace in the world. These are placed higher up, on shrines or on sculpture pedestals, or on windowsills. And then there are offerings which are more like bribes, that are placed on the ground, in front of doors and gates, to appease evil demon spirits and keep them away. These offerings are absolutely everywhere in Bali, and despite  the fact that food is placed outside in reach of animals and insects, the streets are very clean. The Balinese take great care to clean up their streets every day of the remnants of the morning's offerings.

The whole island was actually much cleaner than Lombok or Java, and we saw much less plastic and trash thrown about. I had a thought that this could be due to difference in religion. Balinese Hinduism, with its animist aspects, likely promotes respect and admiration of the natural environment, while Islam (which, like its monotheistic brother Christianity) places man far above nature and animals, making it difficult for its followers to grow a sense of responsibility about their environment, having only a feeling of entitlement to use said environment to their benefit. But that was just a thought, I'm sure that the truth is much more complicated than that. Likely it's also just that Bali is wealthier, and pressure from tourism has meant more funds toward waste management (and true enough, we did see lots of bins in Bali).

During our time in Bali, where the Hindu culture is so strong and in-your-face with its beauty at all times, we did wonder how on earth the island managed to stay Hindu in the face of the spread of Islam. I haven't been able to find a clear answer to that, it simply seems that Bali has been culturally isolated from the rest of the country and therefore kept its traditions. However, more recent history is also interesting. Indonesia is majority Muslim (87% today), and when the country gained its independence from Dutch colonial rule in 1952, the new government, under pressure from political Islam, set rules that all Indonesians must identify with a religion, and that only monotheistic religions will be recognized. This was obviously bad news for the Balinese, with their polytheistic Hindu beliefs. Shocked by these rules, Bali declared itself an autonomous region and sought support from the international community. A non-violent resistance movement was formed, which, in 1958, totally trolled the Indonesian government and won it in its own game! Basically, they found a quote from Hindu scriptures, which said that dharma (basically the good in the world) is the 'undivided one', and they used this as proof that Dharma is the only god in Hinduism, making it a monotheistic religion. The Indonesian government was then forced to recognise Hindu Dharma as an official religion. This has also had positive effect on followers of lots of other smaller animist religions and ancestral worship, mainly indigenous tribal peoples, who, forced to choose among a few limited options, recognised that Hinduism would give them more liberty than Islam, and that under the guise of the religion they could hope to continue with their customs and traditions. This has meant that at least officially, there are Hindu communities also on Kalimantan, Sulawesi and other islands apart from Bali. 

After Sanur, we headed inland to the Balinese culture capital Ubud. Actually not a town in itself, but rather an area made up of lots of local villages, Ubud is also a very popular tourist destination, but for very good reason - the place is gorgeous, within a stone's throw of lots of important temples, has tons of art galleries and art shops, and hosts many cultural events.

The very first evening we went to see a traditional Balinese dance show. Balinese dance is very unique and unlike anything I have seen elsewhere. Since it is used to recount tales of Hindu legends, it does have elements that resemble traditional Indian dance, such as the use of hand gestures and facial expressions, but the overall impression is still very distinct. The dancers are all richly dressed in gold and coloured fabrics, adorned with beautiful headdresses and jewellery. Performances are accompanied by gamelan music, the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali, made up of mainly percussion instruments (the same type that we saw in Java with the puppet theatre). Our show started (after traditional offerings to gods) with a legong dance, a piece performed in tandem by two young girls, who perform a strikingly intricate and complex dance, in synchronized movements, with their eyes closed! It was beautiful. We then saw a number of other dance pieces (including one extravagant performance by four men and four women, to honour Ubud itself), before the finale of a traditional ballet, recounting the Hindu legend of a valiant prince, a beautiful princess, and the victory of good against evil. Evil, by the way, was the character of Rangda, the wicked demon queen who rules over evil spirits - the same figure that is on Paolo's new tattoo. The character was played by a man though, since the role requires a mask (topeng), and all topeng are sacred and can only be worn by men. The topeng of Rangda was a horrific piece of work, with bulging eyes and a long lolling tongue, all complemented by a huge suit of furry hair. This, and the show in general, were brilliant, and we both really enjoyed seeing a piece of traditional culture.

The next day we rented a scooter to explore the surrounding area, which has tons of stuff to see. We visited three different temples, all beautiful but without much knowledge of Hinduism, pretty much interchangeable to us. We also stopped for a look at the famous and beautiful Tegallalang rice terraces, one of the iconic views of Bali. We also made an unplanned stop at a coffee farm - on our way to one of the temples, we accidentally took a wrong turn, and at the dead end of the road met a young guy who convinced us to follow him to visit his friend's coffee plantation (for a tip, of course). The guy was super friendly, so we took his word, and we were glad we did. The plantation was small, and they grew lots more than just coffee (including ginger, cocoa, pineapple, papaya, jackfruit etc). The main attraction were the luwaks though, the small cat-like nocturnal mammals who eat raw coffee beans, which are then extracted from their feces and cleaned and roasted to make kopi luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world. Obviously, the animals are kept in cages, and probably not much thought is put into their welfare, so I can't say that we enjoyed seeing that. The nicer part though was the free taster session of a dozen different beverages, including a number of flavoured coffees, hot chocolate and lots of different teas. While the coffee was tasty, it was the teas that were the real bomb, with the tastiest ginger and lemongrass tea we had ever tasted. We bought some chocolate powder and ginger tea to take with us. On my initiative we did also try a cup of kopi luwak (which at 3 euros a cup seemed fair enough for a taste of the most expensive coffee in the world), or catpoochino as they named it. It tasted good, if very strong, but I immediately felt really bad for having succumbed to curiosity, because I was contributing to the ongoing exploitation of the luwaks. So piece of advice (that I should have taken myself) - kopi luwak is nothing special, don't try it, for the animals' sake.

For lunch, we stopped at a street vendor for a yummy bowl of broth with meatballs and noodles, and for dessert we finally got to try durian. Durian is allegedly the world's most delicious fruit (and in fact called 'the king of fruit' in parts of Asia), and although it apparently smells very bad, the fruit flesh is delicious. We got to taste one of the first durian's of the season, so it was very fresh. It actually didn't smell bad at all, maybe because it was not late in the season and it was perhaps not as ripe as it could be. But the flesh of the fruit was truly as described, very sweet, and with a consistency like an avocado. 

We ended our day by driving down for a swim at the Tegenungan waterfall. One of the few waterfalls that is not located in the central mountains of the island, Tegenungan is very accessible and therefore very popular among tourists and locals alike. The waterfall is not huge, but still quite impressive, and it has a big pool underneath, perfect for swimming. It was pure joy to go in and frolic in the water, perfect ending to the day! Particularly since our experience with the ocean had not been good, it was nice to get to swim in clean, fresh water.

For the next day, we had booked to go on a river rafting trip. It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but which had always been too expensive, so when we found a great deal for 18 euros in Ubud, we jumped at the chance to try it! The rafting took place on the Ayung river, and there were about another fifty people on the morning rafting trip with us (and that was just our company). But this is one case where the saying 'the more the merrier' definitely holds true, which I will elaborate on in a second. After having gotten our gear (helmet, life jacket and paddle) and driven down to the starting point, we walked down tons of steps to the river. After getting a short briefing on safety, we climbed on our inflatable raft. While the rafts take up to six people, plus the instructor, we were only four - Paolo and I, with a Chinese girl (who seemed sweet but did not speak a word of English), and a lovely older South Korean lady. Our instructor, like most of them, was a young cocky guy, who nonetheless was a great instructor, and who helped make the trip fun with his antics and bullying of other passing instructors. Once we were launched, we were off paddling down the 10km strech of our trip immediately. The river was nestled in between cliffs and surrounded by jungle, so the views were stunning. And, as mentioned, apart from us there were countless other rafters on the river, both from our group and other companies, and everyone had great fun splashing each other with water whenever we got near enough to other boats. Since there hadn't been much rain on Bali in the last period (even though the rainy season started in December), the river was actually quite tame, and perfect for our first rafting experience. It was still thrilling, but at no times did it feel dangerous. It was great fun, and we can't wait to try it again soon!

The next day, which was our last in Indonesia, we went to visit Ubud's main attraction, the Monkey Forest (or more precisely, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary). It is basically a big jungle park, with a temple complex and a shitload of monkeys. The monkeys roam free inside the park, and they are (obviously) the main attraction of the place. There are supposedly some conservation aspects to the place as well, but it really did just seem like a place for people to enjoy seeing monkeys do monkey business. There were monkeys of all sizes, and whenever someone had any food with them (we didn't) - whether meant for monkeys or not, the monkeys would come and get it. The monkeys are actually crab-eating macaques (locally known as Balinese long-tailed monkeys), and there are roughly 600 of them living in the park. They seemed content enough with their life, and not at all bothered by the huge human presence surrounding them. The best part was a fountain near the entrance, where there were monkeys playing in the water, and jumping into the fountain from the trees above. Looking at the monkeys, their little hands and faces, it really seems like you're looking at a small furry human, and it is so evident that we are evolutionary cousins. 

The same evening we drove down to the airport to await our 2:30am flight to Cairns, Australia. We just spent a whole month in Indonesia, and all the three chapters within it were so different from one another. The country is huge and diverse, and we have only seen a small fraction of it, but what we did see was amazing, and it was a real pleasure to get to experience this part of the world.

Now, back to a culture that is more familiar, yet very distant. Next stop - Australia. As I write this, we have been here already for a few days, and I can say that it is truly so different from everything up until now! In Australia we will be doing volunteer work through HelpX at some small organic farms, and just now we are already on day two with this super lovely family - of whom I will write more about sometime next week. Until then - bye!

Igap2evased ohverdused // Everyday offerings

Bali traditsiooniline tants // Traditional Balinese dance

Hirmus Rangda // Terrifying Rangda

Paolo ja Tegallalangi riisiterrassid // Paolo and Tegallalang rice terraces

Vangistuses luwak, tukkumas // Imprisoned luwak, napping

Assortii kohvidest ja teedest // Assortment of coffees and teas

Gunung Kawi tempel // Gunung Kawi temple

Vahetult enne duriani esmakordset maitsmist // First-time durian tasting imminent

Araknofoobi painaja - leidsime koha kus elektriliinidele oli pesa ehitanud tuhandeid hiigelsuuri 2mblikke - v2gev! // Arachnofobe's nightmare - we found a spot where thousands of bigass spiders had built their nest on electric lines

Pura Kaheni tempel - kauneim mis me n2gime // Pura Kahen temple - the most beautiful we saw

Sellised ekstravagantsed hiigelskulptuurid, niisama ristmikel // These kinds of extravagant massive sculptures, at road junctions

Tegenungani kosk // Tegenungan waterfall

Meie paaditiim koos instruktoriga // Our rafting team with our instructor

Kaunis Ayungi j6gi // Beautiful Ayung river

Ahvid ajavad omi asju // Monkey business at its finest

Ka ahvide pargis leidus hulganisti skulptuure // Lots of sculptures also at Monkey Forest

Ahvide Metsa metsaga // With the forest of Monkey Forest

Paolo omas elemendis ahvide keskel // Paolo feeling the monkey vibe